Use of Electronic Health Information to Advance Health Research.

EHRs provide several benefits with the potential of improving healthcare quality. There is also a growing interest in using EHR for research purposes to improve clinical care and administrative processes. This paper examines the potential role of EHRs in supporting clinical research in primary care. Healthcare professionals (1710) working in primary care centers in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, were surveyed. The response rate was 65.9%. The majority of the respondents (76.0%) perceived EHR to provide quick and reliable access to scientific research. To improve EHR utilization in health research, the challenges related to its use should be addressed.

Human Factors of EHR Adoption in Saudi Primary Healthcare.

Electronic Health Records are rapidly gaining traction in healthcare with increased acceptance and adoption. However, there is limited understanding of factors influencing adoption in primary care. This paper investigates the human factors of EHR adoption in primary healthcare in Saudi Arabia. An online survey questionnaire was sent to all primary healthcare professionals in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A 65.9% (1127/1710) response rate was obtained. The respondents demonstrated positive perceptions of EHRs in relation to the systems' benefits. The perceptions were influenced by sociodemographic variables; hence, need consideration when implementing EHRs in primary care.

Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of Adoption of EHRs in Primary Care in Saudi Arabia.

EHRs are crucial for the provision of high-quality healthcare. However, their adoption and utilization are influenced by several factors, including users' perceptions. This study evaluated the perceptions of Saudi healthcare professionals towards the adoption of EHRs in primary care. All healthcare professionals working in primary care centers in Riyadh city were surveyed, resulting in a 65.9% response rate. Overall, the respondents had a positive perception of EHRs, as demonstrated by high agreement levels across all benefits and low with obstacles. There was also a positive relationship between perceived benefits and satisfaction with EHRs but negative with obstacles to adoption.

Factors Influencing Healthcare Professionals' Perception towards EHR/EMR Systems in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Systematic Review.

Electronic health and medical records are widely adopted in many healthcare settings worldwide to improve the quality of care. Users' perception is a significant factor influencing the successful implementation and use of e-health technologies. This systematic review aimed to identify factors influencing the perceptions of healthcare professionals towards the adoption and use of electronic health and medical record systems to improve the quality of healthcare services in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. We identified primary studies evaluating healthcare professionals' perception towards electronic health records and/or electronic medical records in the Gulf region. Seven electronic databases, including Medline, CINAHL, Informit Health Collection, Science Direct, ProQuest, PubMed, and Scopus were used to search for the relevant articles published between January 2007 and December 2016. Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Both individual and system-related factors were found to positively or negatively influence healthcare providers' perceptions towards the systems. Understanding the impact of healthcare professionals' perception of health information technology is important for policymakers involved in the implementation programs to ensure their success. Future studies should evaluate other individual characteristics such as age, gender, and profession of the healthcare providers on their perceptions towards e-health technologies.

Effect of Gender on the Outcomes of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of gender on the outcomes among ST elevation myocardial infarction patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the data of 900 patients (770 males and 130 females) admitted between January 2016 and December 2018 diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We recorded the baseline characteristics, comorbidities, treatment, complications, and mortality for all patients, and compared these data between female and male patients. Results The baseline characteristics: BMI and age were higher in females and were statistically significant (p = 0.0001). We found a higher incidence of heart failure in females than in males which was statistically significant (p = 0.0010). In addition, the mortality rate was higher in female than in male patients, although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.3850). Conclusion In conclusion, despite the advances in the technology and the use of novel reperfusion therapies females were associated with poorer outcomes after adjustment of the baseline characteristics and risk factors. In other words, heart failure, mitral regurgitation, and arrhythmias were higher in females with significant p values.

Perceptions of healthcare professionals about the adoption and use of EHR in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve the quality and safety of care. However, the adoption and use of the EHR is influenced by several factors, including users' perception. OBJECTIVES: To undertake a systematic review of the literature to understand healthcare professionals' perceptions about the adoption and use of EHRs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in order to influence the implementation strategies, training programme and policy development in the GCC region. METHOD: A systematic literature search was undertaken on seven online databases to identify articles published between January 2006 and December 2017 examining healthcare professionals' perception towards the adoption and use of EHR in the Gulf context. RESULTS: The fourteen articles included in this review identified both positive and negative perceptions of the role of EHR in healthcare. The positive perceptions included EHR benefits, such as improvements to work efficiency, quality of care, communication and access to patient data. Conversely, the negative perceptions were associated with challenges or risks of adopting an EHR, such as disruption of provider-patient communication, privacy and security concerns and high initial costs. The perceptions were influenced by personal factors (eg, age, occupation and computer literacy) and system factors (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use). CONCLUSION: Positive perceptions of EHRs by the healthcare professionals could facilitate the adoption of this technology in the Gulf region, particularly when barriers are addressed early. Negative perceptions may inform change management strategies during adoption and implementation. The perceptions should be further evaluated from a technology acceptance perspective.

The Role of Electronic Health Records in Improving Communication Between Health Professionals in Primary Healthcare Centres in Riyadh: Perception of Health Professionals.

Improving communication among healthcare providers is one of the critical components of safe and quality patient care. The study objective is to examine how occupation and training of health professionals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia influence professionals' perception of the role of electronic health records (EHRs) in improving communication between healthcare providers in primary healthcare centres. A survey-based study method employing a descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. Health professionals' occupation and training were found to influence their perception of the role of the EHR in improving interprofessional communication. Physicians and professionals with training on EHRs had the highest rating for the system's role in improving communication between healthcare professionals. All healthcare providers should embrace EHR systems in their practice to promote interprofessional communication and collaboration in the patient care process.